MISRATA, Libya | Thu Apr 21, 2011 5:54pm EDT MISRATA, Libya (Reuters) - The United States on Thursday launched armed drones against Muammar Gaddafi's troops, who pounded the rebel-held Libyan city of Misrata despite Western threats to step up military action against them.
In the besieged city, rebels and forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi fought a ferocious battle, often at close quarters. Streets were barricaded with dump trucks, parts of cars, bed frames and tree trunks.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates told a Washington news conference President Barack Obama had authorized the use of Predator drones and they were already in operation.
"He (Obama) has approved the use of armed Predators," Gates said.
General James Cartwright, vice chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the first two Predators were sent to Libya on Thursday but had to turn back because of bad weather.
The United States planned to maintain two patrols of armed Predators above Libya at any given time, Cartwright said.
Earlier, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Gaddafi's forces were carrying out "vicious attacks" on Misrata and might have used cluster bombs against civilians.
Misrata, Libya's third largest city, is the only rebel stronghold in the west of the country and has been under siege by government forces for seven weeks. Hundreds of people have been killed.
At the city's hospital, ambulances raced in carrying the wounded. Doctors said nine rebels were killed, including four in a fierce afternoon battle around the Tripoli Street thoroughfare.
Rebel Salman al-Mabrouk said rebels came under fire when they tried to enter a building occupied by pro-Gaddafi snipers.
"We suddenly discovered they had surrounded us on all sides and they opened fire. It seems many government soldiers were inside buildings around the one where we tried to get into."
Earlier, two wounded men were seen being taken from a car into a small tent beside the hospital compound.
As a doctor cut away the clothing around his wounds, the man, Moussa Houmma, told him: "Doctor, it was a sniper that shot me," as his comrade shouted "Allah-u-akbar" ("God is Greatest") outside the tent.
"THEY CALL US RATS"
Rebels said 300 government soldiers and militiamen were holed up in a fortified old hospital they were using to launch mortars and rockets.
"Gaddafi's fighters taunt us. If they are in a nearby building they yell at us at night to scare us. They call us rats," said one rebel.
Speaking at a Washington news conference with visiting Dutch Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal, Clinton said: "Colonel Gaddafi's troops continue their vicious attacks including the siege of Misrata.
"There are even reports that Gaddafi forces may have used cluster bombs against their own people."
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Libyan authorities to "stop fighting and stop killing people," saying during a visit to Moscow that the priority of the United Nations was to secure a ceasefire.
Libyan state television said NATO forces had struck the Khallat al-Farjan area of Tripoli, killing seven people and wounding 18. NATO said the target was a military command bunker and it had no indication of civilian casualties.
NATO forces later hit the town of Gharyan, south of Tripoli, killing or wounding several people, Libyan television said. There was no immediate NATO comment.
Canadian Lieutenant-General Charles Bouchard, the commander of NATO's Libya operations, said civilians should keep away from Gaddafi's forces to avoid being hurt by NATO air attacks. That would allow NATO to strike with greater success, he said.
Rebel fighters voiced frustration with an international military operation they see as too cautious.
"NATO has been inefficient in Misrata. NATO has completely failed to change things on the ground," rebel spokesman Abdelsalam said.
"MISSION CREEP"
France said it would send up to 10 military advisers to Libya and Britain plans to dispatch up to a dozen officers to help rebels improve organization and communications. Italy is considering sending a small military training team.
Tripoli denounced such moves and some commentators warned of "mission creep," after assurances by Western leaders that they would not put "boots on the ground" in Libya.
Defense Secretary Gates said there were no plans to send U.S. trainers to augment NATO forces already working with rebel forces or to increase the U.S. presence substantially.
Russia said the sending of advisers exceeded the U.N. Security Council mandate to protect civilians.
"We are not happy about the latest events in Libya, which are pulling the international community into a conflict on the ground. This may have unpredictable consequences," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who has spearheaded U.N.-backed NATO intervention, pledged stronger military action at his first meeting with the leader of the opposition Libyan National Council, Mustafa Abdel Jalil, on Wednesday.
The French Defense Ministry said on Thursday it had increased the number of its air sorties in the past week to 41 from an average of 30 since the start of the operation.
FOOD SUPPLIES
In Misrata, food and medical supplies were running out and there were long queues for petrol. Electricity was cut so residents depended on generators and thousands of stranded foreign migrant workers awaited rescue in the port area.
In Tripoli, Ibrahim told reporters government forces controlled 80 percent of Misrata and the government was providing residents with electricity, water, food and medicine.
"The problem is in the 20 percent controlled by the rebels," he said, accusing the rebels of using civilians as hostages.
He said the government welcomed ships coming to Misrata to pick up foreign workers. However, it would not accept international humanitarian aid arriving "with military cover."
The European Union outlined a tentative plan on Monday to send European troops to Misrata to protect aid deliveries if requested by the United Nations, EU officials said.
Witnesses at the Libyan border with Tunisia said rebels appeared to have taken control of the Libyan side of a crossing near the southern Tunisian town of Dehiba, in a remote region where they have been fighting government forces. Some government troops had turned themselves over to the Tunisian military.
(Writing by Andrew Dobbie; editing by Jon Boyle)
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/21/us-libya-idUSTRE7270JP20110421
